


strange clouds

by broccolee_7



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, M/M, Rainy Days, Secrets, a very precious cat, cute ending :), donghyuck thinks mark is a weirdo, suspicious neighbors - Freeform, weather in general
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-17 23:01:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29479617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/broccolee_7/pseuds/broccolee_7
Summary: In which Donghyuck gets a weird new neighbor, who brings a meager collection of luggage and an abundant supply of rainy days.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 40
Kudos: 174
Collections: Challenge #5 — I heard a secret..





	strange clouds

**Author's Note:**

> wishing good days for everyone!!  
> thank you to all of the amazing mods of a little wonder fest 💕

From the moment the new guy moves in next door, Donghyuck thinks there’s something strange about him. Something strange in how he stumbles out of a taxi cab and casts jerky glances up and down the street, in the way he brings nothing more than a trunkful of luggage and spends far too long unlocking his front door.

He even produces a broom from the backseat, almost taller than he is and tipped with bristles far too stiff for any sort of sweeping. It’s _weird_ , and Donghyuck decides to keep an eye on him. Their houses are close enough that Donghyuck has the perfect view.

Unfortunately, the guy closes all of his curtains that night, and they stay that way. He never gets any mail, or visitors. Nothing. He also _never_ leaves, which initially isn’t all that odd, considering the spell of bad weather that’s settled over town. It’s been raining like Donghyuck’s never seen before, sun-laden summer days deteriorating into murky skies and the unflinching monotony in the patter of rain.

But soon it’s been over a week, and the only signs of life from next door are the skeletons of light that sneak through the gaps in the curtains. The only logical explanation is that the guy is hiding something, because Donghyuck has a knack for sensing secrets and this guy caught his eye the moment he spilled onto the curb.

So Donghyuck becomes a bit more deliberate in his observation. There isn’t much else to do with his spare time, what with the torrential rains crushing his summer. He does some research online, which is unproductive, especially without a name, and discreetly patrols the perimeter of the house, finding that all of the windows are covered just as well as the ones facing his place.

Donghyuck’s about to start coming up with an excuse to just knock on the guy’s door when one night, he gets a glimpse inside.

There appears to have been a culinary mishap, because the guy’s got all the windows open and there’s a smoke alarm going off as he fans at the oven. Donghyuck is crouching at his own window in a heartbeat, straining to make out the muffled shouts over the screeching alarm. The guy marches in and out of Donghyuck’s view, hands thrown up like he’s being interrogated.

Despite how odd the guy himself is, the interior of his apartment is annoyingly normal. The only thing that really grabs Donghyuck’s attention is the little white cat perched primly on the table, far too calm for any animal with an alarm blaring overhead. 

And then there’s an inexplicable gust of air, yanking on the guy’s curtains and rattling against the wall Donghyuck is leaning against with unnatural force.

The smoke alarm falls silent, and the cat licks at a paw.

“You happy now?” the guy says.

Donghyuck gawks, feeling quite the opposite. 

He finds himself staring at the house next door long after the curtains have closed, after the lights go out and Donghyuck is looking at nothing but shadows.

There’s definitely something up with his new neighbor.

Donghyuck finally gets to meet the guy when they duck into the same convenience store one soggy afternoon. Even though there isn’t any sort of overhang or shelter from the rain, he holds the door open for Donghyuck, which is just _odd_ , because he hasn’t got an umbrella, or even a rain jacket, just a loose gray sweatshirt that’s soaked through on the hood and the tops of his shoulders.

The guy just stands there, watches Donghyuck struggle to tuck away his umbrella and then follows him inside. The fact that he’s willing to get completely drenched to hold open the door for Donghyuck is almost flattering enough that Donghyuck forgets to file it away with all of the other weird things.

“Thanks,” Donghyuck says. He gestures lamely at the waterlogged hoodie. “You could’ve gone in first, you don’t even have a raincoat.”

The guy blinks, sticks his hands in his pockets even though those look wet too. “Oh, it’s fine. I was already pretty soaked.”

“Hey, did you just move in here?” Donghyuck blurts out. They’re paused in the entryway, facing each other, and Donghyuck’s not about to miss this opportunity. 

“Uh, yeah,” the guy responds. “Just last week, actually. I think I’m right next door to you.”

The words are paired with a stilted chuckle, a thumb twisting in the pocket of his hoodie. He’s a lot more earnest up close, with wide eyes and nervous lips, a little furrow in his brow that makes it seem like he’s really _listening_ , even though this is just small talk in a convenience store. It’s an odd contrast to the secrets dripping down his temples, darkening the fabric of his hoodie.

“Yeah, I knew I recognized you,” Donghyuck says. “It’s good to finally meet you! I’m Donghyuck.”

The guy smiles. “I’m Mark.”

“Mark,” Donghyuck echoes, before he can stop himself. He rolls the name over in his head, fits it to closed curtains and curly black hair, rainy days and a smile far too honest for someone who’s obviously hiding something. 

Mark dips his head in a nod, and he’s drifting into the aisles before Donghyuck can figure out what he wants to ask. 

He’s so used to watching Mark that his eyes follow him naturally, tracking him as he heads for the refrigerators at the back and peers through the glass. Except now Donghyuck feels bad, because _Mark_ is such a normal name, and now that Donghyuck’s seen him up close he thinks that Mark doesn’t have a face capable of keeping secrets. So Donghyuck goes about his shopping, keeps his eyes on the shelves and pointedly does not sneak any glances at his neighbor.

By the time Donghyuck’s checked out, Mark is squatted down and inspecting the bottom shelf with surprising intensity. And that’s _odd_ , because the only thing in that section is milk, so Donghyuck feels justified in wandering over to investigate.

Mark pulls one carton off the shelf and turns it over in his hands to squint at the label. Apparently it doesn’t meet his standards, because it’s hastily shoved back inside and replaced with another brand.

Donghyuck raises an eyebrow. “Have you never bought milk before?”

“What?” Mark jerks to his feet, flicks a glance between Donghyuck and the shelves of milk. “Oh, no, I just need—Do you know if there’s anything, like, organic? Two percent, if possible?”

There’s a beat of silence. “I don’t know, isn’t it all just, milk?”

Mark flushes, turning back to the shelf as if he might’ve missed something. “No—Well, technically yes, but, I usually get organic two percent.”

He brings a hand up to the back of his neck to ruffle the hair there, still a mess of damp curls, and somehow Donghyuck has no idea how to respond.

“I just wanted to be sure that I wasn’t missing the organic section, or something,” Mark continues.

His eyes skirt around Donghyuck’s, and his voice has an odd sort of tremble in it, fading out at the end like he doesn’t really want Donghyuck to hear. Like he’s hiding something.

Donghyuck hums and narrows his eyes, skimming the available cartons. “They probably have it at that grocery store up past the center, but are you sure there’s nothing here? There’s this non-organic two percent, it can’t be _that_ different.”

“Oh! No, it’s not for me, it’s for my cat,” Mark rushes to explain, as if that makes any more sense. “She’s picky.”

“It’s for your—Oh my god.” Donghyuck grabs the carton of regular two percent milk, remembers the condescending tilt of a little white face in the window. “I’m sure your cat will survive on normal milk for a bit.”

Mark laughs and takes the carton. “It does sound kind of ridiculous, doesn’t it?”

He looks at Donghyuck like the two of them are in on something, and Donghyuck finds himself grinning along. “Can you even taste a difference?”

“No,” Mark says through a laugh, and then they’re both giggling, the kind that gets worse the more Donghyuck thinks about it. 

He’s in the middle of a convenience store helping his weird neighbor buy milk for a snobby cat. “Oh my god, Just take that one.”

Mark’s expression turns sheepish, and he tucks the non-organic two percent milk carton back on the shelf. Donghyuck gawks at the motion.

“I think I’d rather just run to that grocery store,” Mark mumbles.

Donghyuck frowns. “No but, that’s a really long walk, and it’s super gross out. Just get the regular milk.”

Mark smiles, but it’s a little more fragile than it had been, and Donghyuck can already tell that it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

“No, I really don’t mind.” Mark shakes his head, and there’s something bitter wrapped up in the beat of his laugh. “Thanks for trying to help, though. And it was nice to meet you, Donghyuck.”

And with that he’s flipping up his hood and pushing through the doors, nothing more than a wobbly smile and moist summer air. Donghyuck shrugs and follows after him. It’s cleared up a bit, enough that beads of sunlight trickle through the clouds and drip along the remnants of rain in the air.

The combination of dewy sunlight and the name _Mark_ inspire Donghyuck to take the long way home, to slow his steps to an almost lazy rhythm that he hasn’t had the luxury of adopting in the days of darting under rooftops and awnings. It’s a good thing that he takes advantage of it, because by the time he’s flopping down on his couch it’s raining again.

It’s long past dusk when the porch light next door flickers on, compelling Donghyuck to crouch under his window and watch Mark trudge up to his front door. He’s completely drenched, dripping with thunder and lightning, one hand clutching a gallon of milk and a key hanging limply from the other. He pauses on the landing and tips his head back, peers at the clouds from shoulders sodden with defeat and cheeks soaked with something desperate.

The rain falls impossibly harder, pelting Donghyuck’s window and creating a mist where it collides with the horizon. It plasters Mark’s black hair to his forehead, and Donghyuck realizes that he’s never seen Mark completely dry.

Mark fumbles with his keys, wiping sheets of rain out of his eyes, and this time Donghyuck yanks the curtains closed.

It’s been another handful of days, and Donghyuck’s locked out of his apartment, and it’s _still_ raining. He’s huddled under his umbrella waiting for his landlord when Mark emerges, wearing a hoodie and a ratty pair of sandals. Donghyuck cringes when he steps directly into a puddle.

“Hey,” Mark says. “You get locked out?”

Donghyuck peers up at him from under the rim of his umbrella. 

“Yeah. Spare key is on the way, but, for now,” he trails off with a shrug. Oddly, the key isn’t the first thing on Donghyuck’s mind. “Do you even own a raincoat? Or like, shoes that _won't_ get soaked?”

Mark glances at his feet. “I mean, yeah? But I don’t really mind the rain. I’m sort of used to it, I suppose. It rained a lot, where I moved from. And I thought it might be better here, but, I guess not.”

“Usually it is,” Donghyuck replies, unable to keep the edge out of the words because he’s just _sick_ of this rain. “Maybe you brought it with you.”

It’s a joke, but Mark blanches, face falling completely and eyes going heavy. He laughs it off but he also casts a look upward, and Donghyuck is close enough that he can make out the way the rain dots Mark’s cheeks and clots in his lashes.

“Maybe,” Mark whispers, mostly just a soundless twist of his lips. He swallows. “But, I was gonna say, you can come to my place, if you want? Just to, you know, get out of the rain for a bit.”

Donghyuck has to stop himself from leaping to his feet. 

“Seriously? That’d be awesome, thanks,” Donghyuck says, almost whacking Mark with his umbrella as he stands. 

The inside of Mark’s apartment isn’t all that different from his own, Donghyuck thinks as he wipes his shoes on the mat. It’s just emptier. He can’t make anything out through the crack in the bedroom door, and the only thing near the doorway is a small shelf with Mark’s wallet and keys.

Donghyuck pauses in his surveying when he spots Mark’s cat, settled right in the center of the entryway, little white face peering up at Donghyuck and tail sliding back and forth. Even though its eyes are shut, Donghyuck feels deeply judged. He’s more of a dog person anyway, so he decides not to mention it and just follow Mark into the kitchen.

There’s a garbled yowl, and Mark glances over his shoulder.

“Oh, just leave your shoes out there,” he says easily. “Pip hates it when the floor gets wet.”

Donghyuck casts another glance at the cat and toes off his shoes. “Pip?”

“Yeah, that’s my cat. Pippy.”

“The one you walked all the way to the grocery store in pouring rain to buy, what was it, organic two percent milk?” 

Mark laughs, but he’s shuffling back into the entryway and scooping Pip up into his arms. “Yeah, that was her. She’s special.”

She sprawls in Mark’s arms in a way that’s distinctly un-catlike, clumsily shifting onto her back and digging a claw into Mark’s shoulder when she almost falls. Donghyuck supposes it makes sense, that his weird neighbor would have a weird cat to match.

There’s another soft meow, and Mark blinks. “Can I get you anything, while you wait? Uh, tea? Hot chocolate? Water?”

It’s unnerving, because it’s almost like Mark is _listening_ to his cat, and Donghyuck remembers the one-sided conversation of the smoke alarm incident. He narrows his eyes, and the cat only stretches further, spilling out of Mark’s arms and managing to look smug even with eyes squeezed shut and an ear squashed in Mark’s elbow.

Mark is the opposite, waiting for Donghyuck’s response with wide earnest eyes and something kind etched into the curve of his brows and the quirk in his mouth.

“Water’s fine, thanks,” Donghyuck says. 

They end up at a table in the corner of Mark’s kitchen, the cat lounging right on top, each swish of her tail almost touching Donghyuck’s glass of water. All of the curtains are closed, and all of the lights are turned on. The only reminders of the weather outside are Mark’s damp bangs and rain splattered hoodie.

But eventually they dry, and Donghyuck becomes familiar with the curve of Mark’s smile and the melody of his laughter. Mark tells him that his cat is blind (which is odd because Donghyuck _swears_ she’s constantly glaring at him), that he has a job lined up in town, and that he posts covers on a channel that Donghyuck spends several minutes convincing him to share the name of. Donghyuck learns that Mark’s looking for a fresh start, with nothing more than his guitar and his beloved Pip at his side, and that this town felt like the perfect place. It’s a sentiment that Donghyuck can relate to, and he comes to find that he and Mark aren’t all that different.

There remain, of course, several _weird_ things about Mark. It takes him a whole five minutes to turn on the stove when Donghyuck eventually admits that a hot chocolate does sound really good, but there might just be something wrong with the stove, because Donghyuck’s pretty sure the knob is still turned to ‘off’ even when there’s a ring of blue flame underneath the pan of milk. Donghyuck also spots the same broom he’d seen when Mark first moved in, except it’s laid flat over the coffee table and there’s an open jar of some kind of polish next to it.

Mark clams up when Donghyuck asks about it, mumbles something about spring cleaning before changing the subject. Donghyuck notes that he also does that a lot, guides Donghyuck away from questions about family and most of his upbringing, really. He always looks a little bit uncomfortable in his own skin, like he’s still clinging to some secret even once Donghyuck has made it to the other side of his closed curtains.

The only time Mark seems completely transparent is when he gets out his guitar, fingers turning nimble and figure relaxing in a way that makes Donghyuck realize just how tense he’s been. Pip meows encouragingly when he flounders, and soon they’ve wrapped Donghyuck up in a song that cradles him all the way back to his own house. 

It echoes when Donghyuck gets the call from his landlord, when he lingers in Mark’s doorway and Pip yowls and claws at Mark’s pant leg until Mark asks him if there are any good coffee places in town, and it rings clear between them when Donghyuck offers to show Mark his favorite place tomorrow. It’s a song that makes Donghyuck’s footsteps light as he climbs his front stairs, makes a smile crest over his cheeks even once he’s locked the door behind him. 

The next morning, Donghyuck wakes early, unused to the force of the sunlight beaming through his open blinds. It’s warm and soft and full, shockingly _happy_ , and Donghyuck can’t help but smile. 

When he meets Mark outside, on the sun-drunk sidewalk between their houses, Mark carries the joy of clear skies in his eyes, cheeks dry and bangs curling without the weight of the rain in them. And when Mark smiles, Donghyuck can’t help but sense a secret in it, because somehow it shines the same as the waves of summer washing over them.

**Author's Note:**

> bonus if you can guess mark's secret!!  
> (i think it's pretty obvious heh... gold stars for everyone!!)


End file.
